The Breakfast Club - The Supreme Court, the Dismissal, and George Floyd

Episode Date: May 25, 2026

Mimi Brown breaks down the day. The Supreme Court's busy month. A surprising dismissal in the Virginia school shooting case. And six years since the death of George Floyd. Plus, the Monday Brief. From the Black Effect Podcast Network. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, it's us The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen.

We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise.

The drama, the alliances, and the T, everybody's talking about. Hear this and more. Listen to Reality with the King on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us. From IHeart Podcast, Saigon. You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam? One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. This is for Vietnam.

They're pouring patril all over here. Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country, and it's going to. going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Supreme Court is about to hand down a few decisions that could impact your life. Birthright citizenship is a disgrace. A shocking courtroom twist in the Virginia school shooting case.

All eight counts are dismissed. And six years after George Floyd's murder, did America actually change? It feels like the wing is heavier than ever before. It's Monday, May 25th. From the Black Effect Podcast Network, I'm Mimi Brown. This is Front Page, and here are the day's biggest stories. Plus, today on the Monday brief, three things on our radar this week. Stay with me.

So a lot to discuss today, front pagers. The Supreme Court is about to deliver some of the biggest rulings of its term, and most Americans don't even know what's coming yet. So by the end of June, the justices will hand down decisions on cases. that will touch the lives of everyone listening. Immigration, voting, gun rights, economic policy. The next month is going to reshape this country in ways most of us are not prepared for. So here are some of the big cases you need to know about.

First, birthright citizenship. President Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in the White House trying to end birthright citizenship for children born to parents who are in the country illegally or here on temporary visas. It would be a disgrace if the Supreme Court of the United States, States allows that to happen. Remember what I said, 20 to 25% of the people coming into our country will come in through birthright citizenship. They'll become citizens. And it'll cost us numbers that are, I don't even think they're doable. And it's all up to a couple of people. The Supreme Court heard

arguments in April, and by all accounts, the majority of justices appeared ready to invalidate the order. But the decision is coming if the president wins over a hundred years of settled, American law gets undone. The other big case is Lisa Cook. So we've been talking about Lisa Cook on the Breakfast Club. She's a member of the Federal Reserve's board of governors. She's the first black woman to ever serve on the Fed. President Trump tried to fire her citing alleged misrepresentations of her mortgage paperwork from before she was even nominated. She's denied any wrongdoing. She has not been charged with the crime. And she's sued to keep her job. And so far, every court has let her stay. The Supreme Court heard her case in January and the justices appear ready to let her keep her

seat, but the decision is coming any day. And just months before the November midterms, the court is set to decide whether states can count mail and ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive a few days later. The 14 states and the District of Columbia allow that grace period. 29 states allow it for military and overseas ballots. The Republican National Convention and the Trump administration are asking the court to invalidate the grace periods. Mississippi's law is the test case. So if the court rules with the RNC, every state with a grace period will have to start throwing out late arriving votes, going into a midterm election where every margin matters. And there are other cases too, transgender athletes, gun possessions by marijuana users, whether the president can fire members

of the Federal Trade Commission, deportation protections for Syrians and Haitians. All of this is coming by the end of June. So here's where this matters for you. Every summer for a decade, this country has waited for the last Monday of the Supreme Court's term. That's when the biggest decisions come down. And this year, that Monday could rewrite American immigration law, voting law, and economic law in a single morning. I'll be talking about these stories on the Breakfast Club and I'll be diving deeper right here on front page on the podcast. The summer is about to start with a court that is not done changing the country. Let's talk about the case out of Newport News. We've been covering it for the past week. Last week, the trial ended and not the way most people expected. I'm talking about the

case of Dr. Ebony Parker. Let's listen to the moment that the judge dismissed all eight counts against her. Therefore, I do bring defense motion to strike in hold on all counts, all eight counts of felony child abuse and endangerment under indictment CR with the indictment number 2499-541-01-108. So those matters are dismissed. So the judge in the case basically said what Dr. Parker did was not a crime. So Parker is free today. Let me catch you up because this one moved fast.

So Dr. Parker was the assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School in January of 2023. That's when a six-year-old student brought a gun to school in his backpack and shot his first grade teacher, Appie's Werner. Now, Zerner, she was shot through the hand, through the chest. She survived. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital. She had six surgeries and she still does not have, you know, the full use of her left hand. And the bullet that nearly missed her heart is still inside her body. So Parker was charged with eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each bullet in the boy's gun. Each count carried up to five years in prison and if convicted on everything she could have spent 40 years behind bars. Now, the prosecution's case was simple. Multiple

staff members had warned Parker that the child had a gun. Parker did not search him. She did not call the police. She did not remove him from the classroom. And then the shooting happened that afternoon. But here's where the story changed. The defense filed a motion to dismiss. And they argue that Parker's decisions that day were not criminal. This is a quote from a defense attorney. They said her actions in no way indicated that she believed there was a firearm in the possession of the child. And seems like the judge agreed because Parker never took the stand. She didn't have to. And outside the courtroom, her defense attorney said, quote, we believe the right outcome was

reached and we are thrilled for Dr. Parker. So here's where this case is today. The criminal case is over. Dr. Parker is not going to prison. But if you remember last November, a civil jury awarded Abbey's Warner $10 million from Parker in a civil lawsuit, that ruling still stands. I know Parker has appealed that. The boy's mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. The student himself, of course, he was just six years old, so he will not be charged. So the question

that this pace leaves behind that we keep going back over and over is who is at fault? I mean, when a six-year-old brings a gun to school and shoots his teachers, is it the staff who ignore the warning signs. Was that criminal? Because according to the judge, that's not criminal. And the mother, you ask me, the parents bear some responsibility or most of the responsibility. Staff and the administration, I don't think so. I kind of feel like the court got it right. What do you guys think? Let me know. You can always email me at front page with Mimi at gmail.com. All right, it's Monday, which means it's time for the front page Monday brief. Every Monday, I give you a quick look at three stories worth keeping your eye on this week.

That's the stuff that could hit your money, your schedule, your household, or just the conversations everyone's talking about. Sometimes it's the story that's just starting to break. So here's what's on the radar for this week. If you rented a car from Avis last year, you could be owed money. Avis is paying customers as part of a settlement tied to a 2024 data breach that exposed driver's license numbers, credit card information, phone numbers, and birth dates. Eligible customers could receive up to $5,000 for losses connected to the breach, and even customers without financial losses may still qualify for a smaller cash payment. To apply, customers need to submit a claim by June 21st at Avis Data Security Settlement.com.

Teen summer hiring is at its lowest point since 1948. Businesses plan to hire just 790,000 teen workers this year, about a third of what they hired in the late 90s. Why? Well, businesses are starting to use more AI and automation. And many teens are picking up internships, sports, and college programs. prep over working at the ice cream shop. Meta just laid off 8,000 employees, about 10% of its workforce. As a company transforms into what CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls an AI-first company.

Meta is one of several tech giants laying off thousands of workers this year. Cisco, Microsoft, Block, Coinbase, all the same pattern. Tech workers are training the AI systems that are replacing them. So to recap, you could be owed money from Avis, teens can't get a summer job, and tech workers are training AIs that are replacing them. That's your Monday brief. And before we end today, we want to note that today marks six years since George Floyd's murder sparked a worldwide protest and outrage and what many called a racial reckoning in America.

After Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, companies, schools, government agencies, they all rush to embrace diversity initiatives and police reform efforts. But six years later, much of that momentum has been reversed. First. Here we are six years later. Comedians are laughing and joking about it. Corporations have abandoned the community. There is an attack on DEI. And so it feels like the weight is heavier than ever before, which means that we have to double down like never before. And she's right. The broader conversation around race in America has also shifted. What was once described as a national reckoning is now often treated as a political and cultural battle with many of the reforms that were touted in 2020 now stalled, challenged, and reversed altogether. So for many people, the question six years later is no longer whether George Floyd changed America,

but I think it's whether America changed at all. That's your front page. I'm Mimi Brown. This podcast was brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what?

We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. You get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman

help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the eye Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast Deeply Well with Debbie Brown if you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHard Art Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Why are we all so obsessed with romance?

On the Radio 831 podcast, join us. Sanjana Basker and Tyler McCall, as we unpack all the trending tropes, fuzzy adaptations, book talk drama, and celebrity love stories with hot takes and sharp guests. Each episode digs into what these stories reveal about desire, fantasy, identity, and how we love now. Listen to the Radio 831 podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.